A Different Kind of HalfBlood
by froggieninja101
Summary: I don't know why She allowed to portal to open again. I don't know why She allowed us to get back at all. Thousands of years have passed, and I don't know if we'll ever get back, and that hurts most of all. My name is Lyra. I'm not one of them. I'm more.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I was running. After all, there was little choice in the matter. I could take a stand and reveal myself, or I could escape. Running away was not my style, but I was being followed by more than just a few monsters. I leaped over a brick wall, landing smoothly on the other side. I shouldn't have been able to do that; the wall was at least five feet tall. I wasn't human though, and I am armed with powers that would make you gnash your teeth in envy.

My blackthorn staff was my only weapon I had, but it had never let me down before. I trusted Nature's Edge, the name which I had given it. We were a formidable force together and it was my one connection with Alrog.

The memory of the old bard gave me renewed determination. A bard as fiery as a dragon with no less vigor either. I made a choice there, a rash and foolish one perhaps, and one that I have regretted ever since, but it was one that changed my life yet again. Ducking into an alley I turned and raised my staff. The green vines that twined around the ancient wood glowed with light and power, making me smile. Old magic, long forgotten, but still strong.

I heard the monster before I saw it; heavy breathing and footsteps so loud that the window panes rattled. I smiled contemptuously as the Cyclops stomped into view. A huge eye studied me and the large misshapen mouth gaped, revealing brown and broken teeth. It growled, raising a club as it lumbered forward.

So easy, it was really a disappointment. I raised my staff and white light erupted from the tip. The creature stopped as the energy slammed into it. The Cyclops was knocked back and I ran forward, jumping on top of its broad chest. Black energy gathered in my palm as I looked into the dazed and confused eye. Pity stirred in my heart, but I was not to be stopped. I released the darkness and it erupted into black flames.

I jumped back and watched it burn. I felt no regret, only sadness for it. I remembered Theo and his brothers. But this monster was different; it was going to kill me. Monsters didn't die in any case; they could only be sent back to The Abyss until the reformed and came back. The irony of it made me want to throw a punch at the wall. I could not be killed either, dispelled like a monster, but The Goddess would never let me die.

"Lyra!" a voice from behind me. I spun around, for I recognized it.

"Jink?" I called back incredulously.

His scarred face appeared above me and a moment, he had landed beside me. His black hair was dirty and his shirt was ripped in several places, but his smile was as unmarred as ever. He gave me a hug that almost cracked my ribs, but I didn't care, I was glad to see him.

"Where's Theo?" I asked when he finally let go.

He gestured back down the alley. "He, Firedancer, Lyvani, and Halithla are on their way. We ran into some trouble in the form of a few godlings." He kicked a lose stone and it clattered away.

I nodded to him. "Me too."

His face set in grim determination. "Then it's time to set them straight isn't it?" He asked.

Resigned to the fact that other option were closing fast, I nodded to him.

He smiled and drew his sword. It was double-bladed and about three feet long. Twined around the hilt was a silver dragon. Its tail anchored to the pommel and wound around the grip. The outstretched wings formed the cross-guard and its head reared up, mouth open and tiny fangs bared. It was a wondrous work. It was the one that we had found in Rakia, the one that had led us south so many ages ago, the one that had led him to his father.

"Are you going to summon Anatkah?" he asked me.

I shook my head a solemn no.

At that moment, we heard them. Taking a tighter grip on my staff I tensed, ready for action. Footsteps echoed again down the alley. Many of them.

"Theo," Jink muttered.

He was right. In a moment the daemons were beside us. Lyvani with eyes like chips of ice and bright white hair as dense as a cloud. Firedancer and Theo, both opposites save for the intelligent green eyes. Halithla, free at last with hair the color of warm earth and eyes as brown as a deer's.

Theo swept his golden hair out of his face and made an elegant bow. Firedancer smiled, but Halithla and Lyvani both wore looks of impatient exasperation at this. "Sorry for the delay," he panted. "Bit out of practice, but it all came back after the first few minutes." He grinned broadly.

Lyvani broke in. "What are we going to do, Lyra? Make a stand or try to talk?" His voice was light and airy, but I could tell he was angry.

"I'm going to conjure an energy shield," I told them. "I expect that it will shock them enough to slow them down and perhaps but enough time for Jink to propose a talk. Does that sound alright?" I raised an eyebrow inquiringly. One thing ruling had taught me was to listen to friends and enemies alike.

They all nodded and Jink sheathed his sword with a sigh. "As you wish," were his words.

We did not have long to wait. Barely a minute passed when the sounds of stealthy tracking reached my ears. I raised a sphere of blue energy around us with my staff and waited. When the first face peered into the alley, I called out in a strong voice, "Stop! Who goes there?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

At first I thought that I had scared him off. Maybe it wasn't them. After all, I had only time enough for a glimpse of curly blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Perhaps it wasn't a godling after all. But it was. I could sense it. A moment later, she reappeared looking wary with a troop of teenagers behind her.

When she got closer I realized that she had to be around seventeen. She was battle hardened like we were and her grey eyes sized us up. She wore an orange T-shirt that said Camp Half-Blood on it and jeans. A bronze knife was strapped to her arm and her companions were more or less the same.

I did not lower the energy shield however. But we did not draw our weapons and they in turn did likewise. When they were three feet away Jink spoke. "That's enough."

To my surprise they halted. The blonde girl, who appeared the leader, regarded us warily.

He smiled coldly, the scar through his eye making him look evil in the dim light. He said, "Who are you and what do you want with us?" Blunt words I know, but I had no desire to beat around the subject.

She looked shocked, but replied. "My name is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. We have come to take you to safety."

Inwardly I cursed myself for leaving Laiyanya. There were whispered rumors of other gods, of forgetting The Goddess. The very idea made my insides turn cold. I answered her steadily though. "My name is Lyra and my companions are Jink, Theo, Firedancer, Lyvani, and Halithla. We are not those who you seek and I suggest you leave now to find others."

Her eyes flashed with anger. I doubted that she had expected a diplomatic answer. It was very likely that she was used to screaming, threats, and sudden attacks. I could see it in her eyes as she studied us.

"Lower that shield," she said quietly.

"No," I told her firmly. "First you either tell us why you are going to take us away or walk away right now. Your choice. Of course, you could always attack us which would be a dreadful mistake on your part."

She bit her lip. Annabeth seemed to fine obeying orders from me difficult. She heaved a dramatic sigh. "Very well," she said. She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, an earsplitting roar filled the air.

I whipped around to glare at Jink. "You brought him"?" I demanded.

He grinned. "You bet we did. He must be looking for us."

"That isn't the problem!" I cried. "They'll shoot him down!"

His face darkened. "Just they try," he growled.

I gave them all a look of utter disgust at let the shield fall. I ran towards the godlings and pushed past them. Annabeth gave a furious yell behind us, but we didn't slow down. Running into the open I raised my arms, waving furiously. The red dragon turned towards us and sped through the air. He landed gracefully, making chirping sounds of pleasure in his throat when he saw Jink.

The street lord grinned and patted the great creature on his snout. "Atta boy Vagnor," he said. "I told you we wouldn't be far off."

Vagnor blinked his large indigo eyes in understanding. He butted Jink's head with his own and he laughed.

Behind us was a sharp intake of breath. We spun around. The godlings were standing just a little way off, staring at the dragon. Annabeth's knife was in her hand as she gazed at the creature. I found myself growing angry, but I had an idea. We would go to their camp, but we wouldn't stay. We'd prove that we weren't who they thought we were and would find Laiyanya again as soon as possible.

"Well," I said. "Are you coming or not?"

Tentatively they came forward. A boy with dark hair and sallow skin was gaping at Jink. "That thing's yours?" he croaked.

Jink snorted. "No he isn't. He's a friend, not a possession. Learn the difference."

The boy went slightly red. Annabeth came forward. "I'll steer," she volunteered.

I nodded to her. "All of you get on," I told the other four godlings.

They obeyed and climbed onto the dragon's back after Annabeth. Jink sat in the back and winked at the daemons and I. Surprised, Annabeth looked over at us. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.

I smiled and slapped the dragon. He rose his head and gigantic ruby-red wings beat the air. "We'll follow you!" I called, hoping that she had heard. I couldn't mind-speak with her; her mind was a closed one.

Theo nodded to me and as the dragon rose higher into the air, he and his brothers dissolved into pillars of black smoke. They shot into the air after them and in a moment, were almost lost from sight. I jumped lightly onto the low wall again, and rose gently into the air. My body grew smaller as it transformed into that of a swift.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was dawn when we got to their camp. Vagnor flew over a tall fir tree and landed with his usual grace and quiet dignity. He folded his wings and Jink and the godlings slid off his back. Theo, Halithla, Firedancer, and Lyvani had morphed back into human form as we crossed the border, which was a relief. I didn't think it wise to let them know that they were daemons. I transformed back into my usual form as the others touched down. Luckily most had fallen asleep on the way to the camp. Only Annabeth noticed, but she only narrowed her eyes and made no comment.

Halithla gently lifted the sleeping godlings off Vagnor's back and placed them on the ground. Annabeth, looking sulky, roughly shook them awake and they all scrambled up at once, avoiding eye-contact.

Annabeth barked some orders and they all took off down the hill towards a large farm house with a wrap-around porch. I didn't think much of it, I had seen far homier buildings, but something told me that this house was important somehow.

"Come on," Annabeth told us, sounding thoroughly displeased about something.

I shrugged at Jink and followed Annabeth down the hill, Jink and the daemons in my wake.

When we got to the porch of the large farm house Annabeth told us to stop. We waited while she went inside. I heard low voices conversing inside, but unfortunately, I could hear only sounds and not words. It was infuriating. When she returned however, she was looking extremely grave.

"Chiron wants to see you at once," she said.

Jink frowned and Firedancer scowled darkly. Lyvani pushed past them and followed Annabeth inside. After a moment, I went after him and the others came soon after. She led us into a large room with an equally large table in the center. Chairs stood around in, seven I noticed, and an odd man sat at the far end.

I stopped behind Halithla and sized him up. Annabeth cleared her throat nervously. "Meet Chiron, the… err… activities director."

I frowned at him. "You're a centaur."

He looked surprised for a middle-aged looking man in a tweed jacket and a motorized wheelchair. He rubbed his scrubby brown beard and looked at me with interest. "Now how did you know that?"

Rolling my eyes, I sat down. Jink took a seat next to me and Annabeth sat by Chiron. Theo, Lyvani, Firedancer, and Halithla all took chairs across from each other. I answered the centaur curtly. "Your chair's aura is almost overpowering. I could sense it even outside."

Annabeth looked shocked and the activities director nervously rubbed his beard again. "I am a centaur," he admitted. "In fact, my name is Chiron. I have been the trainer of heroes for many centuries now."

I laughed, I couldn't help it. He frowned at me and launched into a long winded explanation about Greek gods and the forces of evil. By the end, I was so bored that I was barely awake.

Theo broke the silence. _So this place where we are, **Camp Half-Blood**, is for people who are children of the gods?_

I hadn't thought it possible for the centaur to look anymore shocked than he already had today, but his reaction Theo's bodiless voice convinced me otherwise.

Getting over his initial shock, he replied, "Yes it is."

"Well then," Jink pushed his chair back and stood. "I wish you good luck in finding those people."

"Stay here young man!" the centaur thundered. "You are going nowhere as yet."

Jink looked mutinous, but he sat back down nevertheless.

"So," I said, trying to be careful of my words here. "You think we're half-bloods?"

He shook his head. "No, we do not merely _think_ that you are godlings, you _are _godlings."

Lyvani snorted with laughter and Chiron shot him a withering look.

"I know I'm a half-blood," I told him. "But not the kind you are looking for. Thank you for sharing this information with us. Now, if you have no objection, we ought to be finding our dimension again."

He must have thought I was joking, for he gave me a very hard look indeed. It was about this time when Annabeth spoke up. "You are older than our usual recruits," she allowed. "I would guess your ages range from sixteen to eighteen."

At this, Firedancer burst into outright laughter. "Do we really look so young?" he asked weakly when he had recovered.

She glared at him and did not reply. To pacify the situation Chiron leaned forward and asked us. "Well, if you don't think you are godlings, who do you think you are? I would guess that you," here he directed his words at me, "are a child of Ares, Hecate, or Circe."

This made me so angry that I wanted to hit him. "I am no godling you crazed horse-man!" I shouted. "I am of an ancient race that you remember only in legends." Maybe I had crossed the line, because Annabeth's eyes widened in horror at my words. I ignored her and went on. "What is the matter with you people? Have you grown so masterful that you've forgotten the very people whom you pushed to the brink of destruction? I am no human, but something in between. Can you guess what I imply?"

I didn't expect a reply, but he surprised me. "I have an idea child. But why spoil the moment. Tell us who you and your friends are."

Jink scowled at him. "I'm pure human if you're curious," he informed him. "I'm the only one of us who is."

"My parents were nobility," I said calmly. "My mother was the ruler of The First Realm and my father, the High Wizard in her service. But I said that I was not human, my mother was an Elf."

There was a sharp intake of breath. I disregarded this and went on. "I was different however. I am considered pure Elf with the powers of wizard folk, but alas, this is not so. There was never another before or after me who was like this and my birth marked a great change. The Elves fell and Mankind overtook us. We are now a people of ballads and myth.

"My friends and I were sent back up to the surface to judge the situation; however we got quite lost and separated early on. Now if you would let us go, we need to find our way back!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It took them a week to wrap their heads around the fact that I was who I said I was. They stuck us in a cabin with a bunch of pick-pockets and pranksters, which was not at all pleasing. After a day or so there, Jink and I snuck out and poked around for a bit. After about ten good minutes, I found what we were looking for.

A section of boulders (I think the campers called it Zeus's Fist) by a creek. Jink shifted a few with telekinesis and found a passageway underneath the largest of them. He replaced it carefully and we spent five days making a tunnel from the back of our cabin to the other tunnel. It was amazingly easy; I was really amazed by it.

Once one knows the Underground and how to access it, the world really becomes an easier place. Everything is connected to everything else and I had high hopes of getting back to Laiyanya and my people through the underground networks. Jink and I carefully stocked our tunnel with supplies in case we needed to make a quick getaway and bided our time.

Our time arrived two days after that during dinner when Chiron announced a friendly game of capture the flag. Don't get me wrong here, but ever since we had wandered out of Laiyanya we all had studied this new civilization 'til our heads hurt, so we know it pretty well. We know how the lingo has changed so we don't sound out of place, how to dress now, and even what they eat. However, none of us knew what capture the flag was.

Ever the bold heart, Halithla raised a hand. "What's that?" he asked.

He may as well have set off a bomb. (Yes, we spent much time looking up the ridiculous newfangled weapons.) Everybody in the camp was either howling with laughter or catcalling. Furious, I stood and pounded my staff for silence. The resulting boom was enough to make the goblets on the tables rattle, but it did achieve the quiet I had been hoping for.

I sat back down as the porky man at the head table glared at me with bloodshot eyes. I had not seen him before; Annabeth told us he was busy on our first day. From his aura, I guessed that he was, in fact, a god. And I decided that I was right when he addressed me.

"Stand back up again child, let me take a look at you." His words were slightly slurred, but not enough to be noticed by anyone save myself. I glared at him as he continued. "Chiron has told me about our newbies. Have some respect girl, for I am Dionysus."

From the way he said it, I suppose that I was supposed to be impressed, even scared. I wasn't. I had seen far worse than this wine-sodden immortal. I crossed my arms and looked at him defiantly. "I told your Chiron and I'll tell you too, we don't belong here."

I must have offended him greatly, for he stiffened. He must not have been used to insubordination. A shallow god, I decided, but he was ruler here, and I would have to be careful.

He gave me a very evil look indeed then clapped his hands. "All right miss high and mighty; I propose a solution to that audacity."

I raised an eyebrow at him challengingly. "Bring it on," I called.

There were chuckles from the campers, but I knew I was testing his patience. "You and your companions, come up here."

Scowling darkly, we did so. I at the far end, with Jink beside me and the daemons lined up in order of creation. I faced the camp with fury concealed under a mask of indifference.

"Now," said the god. "What we have here is a perfect example of what you would be like without gods like us to keep you from sinking back into your base primitive nature." He was trying to provoke one of us, beside me Jink stiffened, but he said nothing. "As a cure to your idiocy child, in tonight's game of capture the flag, you shall be the defenders, while everybody else tries to take it from you." I opened my mouth furiously, but he said smoothly, "You shall be armed with nothing save that staff you always carry around. You and your companions are not allowed armor nor weapons of ours, excepting those which they have with them."

"So," Lyvani said slowly, "It's us versus the entire camp?"

The sot beamed with mock pleasure. "That's right lad. You go at it until you all die defending, they capture the flag, or until there are no opponents left standing. Are there any _more_ questions?

Nobody said anything. Then Halithla raised his hand tentatively. "So what _is_ capture the flag?" he asked.

Dionysus sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Someone fill the ignorant brat in."

The meal broke up after that and Annabeth came over, looking pale with a boy of about her own age. He had sea-green eyes, black hair, and a good tan. He grinned at the grim looks on our faces. "That was brilliant back there, Lyra right? Listen, they don't want me to say anything much to you guys, but I had to stop by." He paused for a moment and looked around, then lowered his voice. "We are going to do our best to take the flag from you without hurting any of you too badly, but these things don't always go as expected. So don't offer too much resistance and you won't get hurt. That's all I can say." With that he was off and away.

Annabeth watched him leave, and then turned back to us. "Why did you do that?" she asked.

"What?"

"You know what I mean," she said with a frown. "Why did you stand up to Mr. D like that?"

My expression darkened as I answered her. "Because he's an old sot relying on his status to dictate here, and I took an immediate dislike to him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

We set up the flag at Zeus's Fist. It was easy to defend and with water nearby, Theo would be almost unstoppable. Firedancer was still angry and every once in a while his hair would erupt into flames. This was normal and we ignored it for the most part. I was sure we were being watched, but I didn't see any blue energy amongst the green and gold, so in the end, I resolved that was not so.

A conch horn blew in the distance and the wood came alive with battle cries and the sounds of trampled brush. I scowled darkly, but I kept my cool and tightened my grip on my staff, ready. Our only chance would be to stick with the plan. If it went wrong, we wouldn't have a second chance.

The first camper burst from the woods and camp towards us, with tree others flanking him on all sides. He held a simple sword before him and his companions were armed with crossbows. I must say, I had expected more. We made no more to stop him and, sensing weakness I presume, came forward with grip slack on his weapon. He took another step forward and I raised a hand towards him and a wall of force knocked them back. Stunned, they looked up from where they lay a good ten feet way.

As more campers burst from the trees behind them, they scrambled back and away. Wave after wave emerged and I realized that the whole camp was being set upon us. Panic didn't enter my mind once, but mind you, I had some very quick decisions to make.

"Jink!" I yelled.

He glanced over. "Yeah?"

"Keep them busy." With those words I raised Nature's Edge and a bolt of light flew from it and exploded at the feet of some tough-looking guys. With boots on fire, they sprinted to the creek. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Theo make a swift movement and the water from the exploded. Screams rent the air as several tons of dirty water hit the campers and they were thrown into confusion. The water daemon had it in control though. No sooner had seventy or so campers been knocked to the ground, the water rose into the air to spin menacingly above him.

Some of the younger campers took off and ran right there and then, and I honestly couldn't blame them. A few older ones reluctantly trailed after them. The remaining fifty had regrouped and more came as a teen I recognized as Percy blew a conch shell. By the time the reinforcements had arrived, they numbered close to one hundred.

I saw their plan clearly. They were going to overwhelm us. I grinned in spite of myself. They underestimated us, and like before, their error would be our best weapon.

As the campers rallied, Jink plunged into their midst. He didn't hurt anybody, but as he dodged, whirled, and disarmed our opponents, he caused the general panic that I was hoping for. Firedancer must have been having a good time, because the blue horsehair plumes on their helmets caught fire one by one. Lyvani blew dirt from the ground up and around while Halithla absently caused vines to wrap around the legs of the godlings and hold them fast.

People were fleeing left and right. In terror or because of minor wounds or burns, I was uncertain. I considered summoning elemental salamanders but dismissed it almost at once. Before they could be banished first, they had to be fed and that presented a problem.

We were winning, I almost couldn't believe it, but we were. As they last campers retrieved their weapons and crawled or sprinted away, I descended from the rock pile. Annabeth and Percy were the only ones left. I smiled sorrowfully, but the smile was not a comforting one. I shifted my grip on my staff and it transformed into a silver sword. Nothing fancy, but lethal.

Jink took Percy down first. After less than five minutes of dueling, he disarmed the godling without suffering or inflicting even a scratch. When Annabeth saw her boyfriend neutralized I could tell my battle was almost over. A slight lapse of concentration was all it took. Her knife went skidding across the ground. She gaped at me when I stepped back. Then a moment later, she and Perseus had retreated. The conch horn blew and I knew that we had won.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It goes without saying that we got in a ton of trouble for that capture the flag game. Mr. D, as Annabeth calls him, was livid. We played by his rules, so I was more than a little enraged when he sentenced us to kitchen cleanup for a week. It wasn't as bad as all the others campers said it was, I have to admit. We had to wash the dishes with lava, but that wasn't any problem with a fire daemon among our number. Firedancer zipped through the chore and twenty minutes later, we were back out in the cool night air.

Something had undoubtedly changed since the game however. People avoided us, if we walked to the peer, the Aphrodite kids scattered. If we poked around in the woods for something to fight, campers hurriedly retraced their steps. Nobody would swordfight with Jink anymore, so he was left to mangling the straw dummies, recreating them, and then destroying them all over again. All of us were miserable. Rejection is one thing, fear is another.

The day came when I thought things couldn't get any worse. We had just been kicked out of the stables by some pissed off satyrs and Halithla was glaring daggers at everything that moved. Lyvani had a similar look on his face. Thunder rumbled overhead and Theo looked up, annoyed. To our surprise however, rain pelted down on the camp, the first rain since our arrival.

Annabeth had told me that the camp had magical boundaries and that the weather was always fair, so I was curious as to how this one had got in. One moment it had been sunny, the next black as night and wet all over; miserable weather, just how we felt right now. Then it clicked and I looked at Lyvani. He avoided my eyes, but I knew what was afoot.

Pointing to the clouds still drenching us with water I cried above the menacing rumbles of thunder, "You're doing this?"

Firedancer shivered slightly, but Theo was as right as rain. Arms outstretched, his face was upturned and filled with happiness. Lyvani looked defiant, but he bowed his head. "Yeah."

I grinned at him and he looked surprised. "Just don't tell anyone else you did it," I told him, "and we'll be fine. It's time we got some weather."

"Too late for that," Jink muttered.

I turned to look at him, but in the next flash of lightning, I saw what he meant. Illuminated in the flashes of light, stood a man; a god to be precise and Zeus to be exact. He was facing us, gripping a staff that thrummed with electricity. The aura pulsing around him made the air crackle. He was dressed in a pinstriped suit and tie, iron grey hair and electric blue eyes. He was looking about as livid as Mr. D had been when the report came back to him that we had bested the entire camp.

Lyvani took a step back. Firedancer glared right back at him, but Theo took no notice. Halithla had the sense to look respectful and Jink went as far as to bow. I remained ramrod straight however, and amusement flickered in the electric eyes of the god.

The rain pounded down harder; perhaps the air daemon was getting nervous. I pushed my sodden black hair out of my face. Through the rain I saw the god beckon to us. We didn't move an inch however, so he came forward instead. The temperature dropped another six degrees and Lord Zeus gave us a look that made me suck in my breath. We were in trouble again, but this time, something was really going to be done about it.

"What are your names?" It was an odd question, and for a moment, none of us answered it. His voice was deep, with a touch of anger, but curiosity above all else.

Jink bowed again and said humbly. "If it pleases Your Greatness, my name is Jink. This is Lyra, Theo, Firedancer, Lyvani, and Halithla."

The god's eyes narrowed. "Come with me, there is much to discuss. But before we go, would you put a stop to this rain?" I must have looked as surprised as I felt for he explained. "I may be the god of the skies, but this storm is beyond my control. It will not obey me."

I suddenly realized why he was so curious. This storm should have been his to command. But it wasn't. I didn't know what was going on, but I sensed that something was afoot. So naturally, I nodded and turned to the others. They were ready and willing for action, so I looked back to the sky god and said clearly, "We shall go with you."

Zeus smiled, but before I could regret my choice, we had gone. Blackness glazed out eyes as we were simultaneously twisted into nothing. The rain had vanished, there hardly seemed air to breath. The darkness cleared then, and I found myself able to look around.

A sight more beautiful than I had ever imagined greeted my eyes as a voice boomed beside us, "Welcome to Mount Olympus."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Far away, but still under the same stars, Lyra was riding south. It would have been easier to transform and fly, but she thought it was best not to chance it. There were magical borders around the country, preventing magic from being used to enter or exit it. Her black hair streamed out behind her and merged with the night. She wore a plain shirt and breeches with a knife strapped to a belt at her waist. But, Lyra had another reason for not using magic. She wasn't leaving alone, for next to her on a black stallion, rode Jink and his friend Theo. It was probably very stupid to travel with them. They hadn't told her why they were leaving and Lyra hadn't asked, but they were in a hurry. Jink had undoubtedly done something again if she knew him, and Theo was probably helping him escape. Still, it was best not to know, if they were found out she wouldn't be able to give them away.

Jink had simply accepted her traveling with them as perfectly normal. He knew her as Lila, the street girl who could fight back. He had lived on the streets since he was six years old; he was amazing with a knife and was known as the greatest thief in the city. He could steal the shirt off your back without the owner being any the wiser. They had met when he'd been pushed off a roof during a fight and had fallen on top of her. After that he always considered her his good luck charm. Lyra doubted that, although it was true that if she hadn't been standing right there at the time, that he would almost certainly be dead.

Jink had a shock of black hair that fell slightly over his face and brilliant blue eyes. He was tanned from many days in the open sun and was slightly taller than Lyra – a fact which seemed to please him. He had a reputation for being potentially violent, but Lyra knew better. All he had really cared about was his little sister Nina. She remembered that he had been taken captive by the bluejackets, but he had escaped as they crossed the river that cut the Stone Palace off from the city. But Nina had been tortured and finally murdered by bluejackets for information about his whereabouts afterwards. He had supposedly killed twelve of them and then attempted to murder their captain. Now he was on the run, for whatever reason there was this time. There was nothing left for him anymore in Feldore and with his own life on the line, he'd no choice but to flee or be killed too.

Lyra had taken to sneaking out of the castle every night shortly after her arrival in the Stone Palace. The Stone Palace was a castle carved out of the side of a mountain, and that was where the name came from. It was certainly a masterpiece of art, but that was all. Lyra hated it. From the rich and noble snobs right down to the clothes they made her wear. Everybody in it was a servant or a noble being waited on. It sickened her to the point that when her mother announced her engagement to the young wizard mage Rab, Lyra ran away. She could simply take no more of it. That day was pure chaos in the capital. If she hadn't been so worried, she would have enjoyed it.

Lyra shook herself. It was best not to dwell for too long. The past was just that, the past, and it could not be changed. Ahead of her, Jink suddenly pulled on his horse's reigns, bringing it to a stop. The road had forked and she could see that he hadn't expected this and was unsure of which way to go. Lyra urged her chestnut forward until she was next to him.

"The left road leads east and the other heads southwest," she told him. "It would be wiser to take the southern road, however. It is less than two days journey to the border that way; the eastern border extends several hundred miles more in that direction."

Jink nodded, his mind sorting through the information.

"You're the leader Jink," she said, hoping to boost his confidence. "It's your choice, although I think you'd better hurry."

"Right, we'll take the southwest road," he declared.

Theo nodded and urged his horse forward. Lyra followed Theo and Jink brought up the rear. Trees dotted the landscape and rolling hills of heather, flowers, and a little brook, all seemed to form a truly majestic landscape. It was like a place where art was created. The darkness did not bother Lyra in the slightest. Elves naturally had better eyesight than humans did, and Lyra had spent many long hours strengthening this ability, learning how to pick out minute details with a mere glance. A light breeze ruffled the meadow and the plants bent before it like dancers in a foreign celebration. They rode for the better part of the night covering perhaps twenty miles before Jink called a halt.

Jink slid off his horse and handed the reins to Theo. "You two go on for a bit, I'll catch up. Have the horse wait here too."

"What are you doing?" Lyra asked

He shook his head, indicating that he was not going to elaborate. "There's a bend in the road a little farther up, wait for me there okay?"

"But-"

"I'll be fine, just go and I'll catch up."

With some reluctance Lyra urged her horse into a slow walk. Theo followed her, not speaking a word. Lyra knew that he was mute; it made him an outcast from the rest of those who lived on the streets. People looked down on him, thinking that he was stupid. He was just the opposite, in fact, Lyra had taught him how to communicate with her and Jink. Each gesture stood for a different word or phrase. He had caught on fast and had started working on the system himself, building on it and adding new things to it. Lyra had been toying with the idea of teaching him telepathy, or mind-speak. It was a trait usually inherited by elves, but she could at least try it with Theo. His mind was more open than most of those that she had encountered. Lyra thought that since he was mute, and couldn't speak with his voice, there may be a way for her to build a mental bridge to his mind and teach him. Lyra had discovered that she could mind-speak shortly before she had to shed her military garb and become a dutiful princess. Very few possessed the open mind required for communication or the elfish gene that permitted one to be able to speak it themselves.

Theo looked over at her and grinned. He had a slight gap between his two front teeth and one of them was chipped from a time when time he had been punched in the mouth and golden-blonde hair that fell almost aristocratically down to his shoulders. His eyes were bright green and were used to communicate as well as his hands. He tended to be cheerful and easygoing, but angered easily if someone tried to harm his friends. Lyra tried not to pity him, he didn't like it, but it was hard not to be sympathetic towards him all the same.

"Wait a moment," she called to Theo.

He looked at her quizzically. She knew that look.

"We have to wait for Jink," she told him.

Theo nodded and looked around. A few moments later he waved to get Lyra's attention and pointed. He was trotting up the dirt path. He wasn't wearing his shirt and had a long cut on his forearm.

"Toss me a shirt Theo, would you." Theo hesitated for a moment, and seemed to be resisting with great difficulty the urge to roll his eyes. But he nevertheless reached into their saddlebags and tossed him a fresh shirt. He put it on and Lyra slid off of her horse.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

He raised his arm to show her the gash. "I put blood on my shirt and tossed it in the brook. The current picks up where we had stopped, so maybe they'll think I drown or hit my head or something of that nature, and won't come after us." he looked pretty pleased with himself. "I left the horse just in case. Don't worry, he won't starve, there's plenty to eat around here for him."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that. You can take my horse, I'd rather walk anyway."

Jink shrugged and mounted the mare. He looked unconcerned, but Lyra's mind was whirling. What had he done this time? Lyra thought she knew him well enough to get along with, and he wouldn't fake his death unless something serious was going on. Although, if there was, Lyra was a girl and a year younger than him to boot, so he probably wouldn't tell her anything. That was the rotten part about being a girl; males always thought that you were inferior to them.

The trio traveled for another two miles before Jink called another stop. The sun was just touching the horizon in the east, tinting the clouds with faint pink and gold colors. The horizon turned scarlet and hidden birds began to sing, welcoming the morning. A raven gave a raucous cry and she looked up in time to see it dive sharply into the meadow and vanish amongst the wild grasses.

Both of the boys had shadows under their eyes and were yawing more and more frequently. Lyra supposed she didn't look any better than them and rubbed her tired eyes to keep them awake. She tripped on a small stone, but didn't fall.

Pointing to the left side of the road Lyra spoke. "There's a small drop off there. The horses will have no trouble with it and we will be hidden at the bottom."

He nodded and motioned for her to go first. Lyra stepped off the road and jumped down. It was perhaps ten feet down, but to the left it sloped down far more gradually. Lyra motioned to him, indicating that they should come down that way. As the horses maneuvered down the slope, Lyra curled up into a tight ball with her back to the road and was asleep within seconds.

It felt like she had only slept for a few moments before Jink shook her awake. She sat up and opened her mouth intending to ask him if they were moving out again. He shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips. He then nodded to where the path was. It was the unmistakable sound of soldiers.

Lyra cursed softly. They didn't need those meddling excuses for men. The three escapees sat as still as stone statues. Only when the clamor of voices and the tramping of feet disappeared did she dare to snatch a glimpse at the road. There was nobody to be seen, they may as well have never come. The only traces they had left behind were footprints in the dirt.

He looked at her. "We had better be well away from here before the sun sets," he said.

Theo nodded his agreement.

Lyra agreed, it wasn't like they had any other options. "As you wish, but we had better stay behind the soldiers. Remember, they were going on foot and you two have horses."

Jink frowned, "Why don't we walk off the road, far enough away so as they can't see us? Lyra you're the one without a horse, can you be the middle person and make sure we're going the right direction?"

Rolling her eyes at him in exasperation, Lyra said, "You don't need me to do that. The road goes southwest right? So all we have to do is walk in a southwest direction in order to maintain our original course."

"Okay, no need to snap. Let's go."

In the end Lyra ended up running to the road and back quite often to make sure they were still following it. This turned out to be a good thing. If she hadn't they would have missed a bend in the road and would've continued going through the meadow for who knows how long. By the time the sun was high in the sky, Lyra was exhausted. The boys were doing great; they hadn't had to run their feet off all day. She tried very hard not to complain, but it was very tempting. They stopped for a quick meal, but aside from that, they marched on all day.

Night could not come soon enough for Lyra. After the last mad dash she judged that they had passed the foot soldiers. She gestured for Theo and Jink to return to the road and they followed her back onto it. The familiar dust of the road rose around their feet and they continued their trudge southwest. At last, Lyra could take it no longer.

"Why don't we make camp for the night? The horses are exhausted anyway. If we can get an early start in the morning, we may be able to reach the border shortly after dawn."

She thought this was a very reasonable request and was more than a little disappointed when he shook his head a solemn no.

"If we really are that close, I'd like to keep going until we reach it."

Theo made a sign to him, and he nodded. "Speaking of which, how do you know where the border is?"

Lyra bit her lip, she hadn't expected this, but Jink and Theo both were expecting an answer. "I didn't always live in Feldore. I moved from place to place all my life. I studied maps so as to know my way around even in unfamiliar territory."

He nodded but still looked unsatisfied. "You're a half breed too, aren't you?"

Lyra flinched. She hated being called that. "So what if I am? My mother was a pureblood elf and my dad was a human. Nobody ever cared about it until recently."

"What type of human was your dad, what was his occupation?" his voice sounded critical.

Lyra shrugged, she hated lying. "I didn't know him very well, I rarely saw him."

That much was true. Melawi of the wizard council was gone most of the time at meetings, conducting studies of ancient wizardry, or simply, gone. She almost never knew where he went or what he did. He never told her, so she never inquired too deeply. It never really bothered Lyra that he was away so much until the week before she ran off to join the army. Melawi had been gone for a month, and then returned home thoroughly drunk. He passed out on the bed before rising the next morning to a fit of yelling and violent hallucinations. He had probably had some bad grain; it tended to do that to you around that time of the year. Still, Lyra no longer felt safe in the house and left secretly in the night.

Jink was still not satisfied. "A lot of us don't know much about our parents, but we still know what they did or who they were. Some don't even know that much. I repeat, who was your father?"

Lyra shook her head. "I didn't know him very well, I ran away."

She could see that he wanted to make some further comment, but Theo gave him a look that said 'drop it'.

"All right then," Jink said. "Why are you leaving Feldore now? I mean sure, all the street kids have a rough time of it, but why now?"

This, she had expected. She knew what she was going to say, as most of it was it was the truth. "There's been a lot more discrimination towards those who are part human and part elf. I can't walk down the street without someone jumping me because my mother was an elf. They need no better reason than that these days. I don't know why they're worrying about it now; it never used to bother them. It isn't safe for me anymore in Feldore, so I'm leaving. It's never been safe, I know, but if I stay much longer I'm going to end up with I knife in my back."

"Oh, right…err…sorry." Jink sounded uncomfortable.

It wasn't like they had been friends in Feldore. Nobody who lived on the streets had any real friends. She had helped him out of a few tight corners before, but that was all. Jink certainly hadn't returned the favor; he had held her hostage once to get information about something, probably a rival gang, although she couldn't remember for the life of her what it had been.

Lyra had liked the streets of Feldore. They made her feel freer than she had since she had arrived at the Stone Palace. Being a princess meant rules, flowery talk, fancy clothes, and suitors fallowing over themselves to do things for her. Great Goddess, she wasn't going to have anything to do with them, not for a while anyway. She had smuggled the army clothes that she had worn on days when she was off duty to the palace. These she now wore during the nights and days when she could get away. Those days were becoming fewer now, but the nights were always hers. Lyra knew that this confused Jink, Theo, and probably a lot of others too, but their confusion made it safer for her to go about her way. Fights were unavoidable, but being Elven and rather practiced in healing magic, nobody suspected anything unusual at the palace.

Lyra one of the times she had seen Jink. It had been in the marketplace. The left side of his face was covered in blood from a gash running from his eyebrow down to his cheekbone. She knew that he was always getting into fights, but he had never suffered a wound like that to the face before. She had been chatting with a few girls who went to an academy in the city, when one of them had asked about 'that bloody boy'. Lyra had turned and had been horrified to recognize Jink under all the blood. She had felt guilty too. She could have healed him without it scaring him with her magic, but she never could. If he knew about her, it would all end.

Of course, she had done the stupid thing. She had rushed over and begun asking him concerned questions. His little sister would probably freak out upon his returning, and he undoubtedly had that in mind. She had given him her handkerchief to mop himself up with which he gratefully accepted. Too distracted to return to her friends, she had wandered into an ally to take a shortcut to the meadows surrounding the Stone Palace. It was a near fatal mistake. She had been jumped as she made her way through a back alley. Using a shield charm to keep their blows from harming her, Lyra had fought back. In the end they had all run off, each one sporting an injury of some sort. It had earned her a reputation from then on, stay away from Lila Bright-Song.

Jink held a grudging respect for her after that and Theo had kept his distance. Lyra hadn't been worried; it was safer if they stayed away. It was one of the reasons she was surprised that they had allowed her to go with them this far.

Theo turned around just them and pointed. Not far away, the wall that encircled the realm of Harria. Jink nodded to him and Lyra, on foot, sped up.

"They're on watch," she hissed up to him. "Let me handle the talking, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, Lyra broke into a jog.

The boys nudged their horses into a trot and the trio approached the gate in the wall. The wall was made of solid gray stone and encircled all of Harria. It was three feet thick and thirty feet tall. It was as intimidating as it was tall. It could have been climbed easily enough, but the top was constantly patrolled by armed guards. If you wanted the leave you and to have a really good reason, a convincing sob story ready, or have enough money to bribe them. Lyra had more of a sob story, but she did have a little money, which she hoped would be enough if it came to that.

The guard in the watchtower looked up when the strange group approached. Lyra met his gaze briefly before looking down again. It looked like Robin, one of her friends from the base near the Northern Wood. Hoping against hope he wouldn't recognize her, she signaled for the boys to stop, and waited for the two standard guards to come out and question them. After waiting perhaps ten minutes, they exited out of the Wall and came forward.

Lyra's heart sank. It was Celeste and Ranger. They had been some of her closest friends before she'd had to leave. There was no way they would mistake her. She inwardly cursed Robin for it. Her story would need some adaptation that was for sure. Maybe she could speak to Celeste in private. She would understand more than anyone else. Celeste was two years her elder and Ranger was a year older than Celeste. They were still young, which was why Lyra was counting on them helping her. Still, she had no idea how they would react.

They stopped in front of them. Celeste's eyes widened and Ranger looked like he was suffering some deep internal struggle. His dark eyes never left her face. Fortunately, Jink and Theo were too nervous to notice this.

"My name is Lila Bright-Song and my companions are Nic and Theo Robinson. We wish to be granted passage through the Gate to Pericon Realm beyond."

"What is your business?" Ranger asked who seemed to have recovered slightly.

"My friend's father was a miner in Harria. A few days ago part of the shaft collapsed and killed him. Nic and his friend go to aid his mother and younger siblings who suffered from the plague. I am fleeing the discrimination of half elves and seek refuge where my identity is unknown."

Celeste muttered something to Ranger and he bent down to listen, nodding several times. Then he straightened up. "Right, you can pass, but first we need to speak with Lyr - I mean Lila."

Knowing it was better not to argue, Lyra followed them out of earshot of Jink and Theo. She looked back and saw both of them were looking slightly anxious. She gave them an encouraging smile, and then faced the cadets. Celeste at once threw her arms around Lyra and hugged her tight.

"Oh Lyra," she cried, "I knew you'd be okay! How'd you meet up with _them_ though? The scarred one will surely attract trouble, he has the street look." She pulled back beaming, and swept her silver hair away from her face.

Lyra returned the hug, but didn't answer at once. "Why didn't you report me?"

Ranger sighed. "Well first off, you _are_ our friend after all. Celeste and I thought it best to talk to you before we turned in the heir to the Harrian throne."

Lyra smiled her thanks. "Mom tried to marry me to a wizard. It is not only forbidden by the most ancient laws for wizards and elves to mix, but the royal line cannot be magical in the wizardly fashion. We have our own power; we don't need to increase it."

Celeste was horrified. "Why did she even try to make you do that? It would be catastrophic. I mean, you know why, we just can't risk it!" Ranger nodded soberly.

Lyra knew what Celeste meant. She was already half-wizard. Her mother had insisted that because she hadn't known her father's identity, it was all right for Lyra to become her heir. If the line grew steadily more wizard in its blood, the elves would cease to rein and it would be all wizards. The wizards were gaining more power and it seemed that a clash between them and the elven race was unavoidable.

Ranger heaved a sigh. "I support your fleeing into exile, but what will happen to the nation with you gone? The common people see you as their champion! You've provided funding for schools, places for the poor to collect food and clothing to support themselves without having to resort to remaking new clothes out of the rags of old ones. You've listened to the people and they love you for it."

Lyra met his gaze steadily. "I know what you mean, but all the same I must go. I plan to return, but not yet. I hope my mother's muddled state of mind soon clears, and when it does I shall return. When I am most needed, Ranger, you will see me again. I promise you that."

Celeste looked at her worriedly. "You won't do anything stupid will you? Not that I have any doubts, but these are dangerous times. We won't be able to send you any information, so it'd be best to find it out quickly for yourself."

Lyra grinned. "I live for danger, but still, I'll be careful. I'm not about to die and let my brother become heir in my place. He is all looks and no substance."

Ranger laughed. "I've never agreed with anyone else more readily. Take care Lyra." He saluted her and both he and Celeste melted into the shadows to tell Robin to open the Gate. Lyra hurried back to Jink and Theo.

"What did they want?" Jink whispered as she took her place between them.

Lyra shook her head. "I'll explain later," she murmured, barely moving her lips as she spoke.

Jink seemed to get the message. Apart from a worried glance from Theo, neither of them questioned her until they were well into Perico. And here, the landscape was beginning to change. Where there once had been smooth hills of heather and various flowers, the land was giving way to the occasional tuft of plant life and more flatland. But it bore the scars of recent fires, and where the fires had ranged, the grass would not grow.

Jink pulled his horse to a stop. "What happened here?" He looked at Lyra as if she knew the answer.

She shook her head and walked over to the burn marks. "This was a wizard fire, it had no natural origin. They burn longer and are much more destructive than usual flames; I just hope that this is the extent of the fires."

Jink looked at the ground indecisively. "I doubt that, the fire started somewhere, but this wasn't the place."

Theo looked troubled and gestured to Jink, who translated. "Let's not dwell on it now, we must reach the city soon, but I fear for what we will find there.

On that positive note the travelers resumed their course. The landscape continued to change. After they had climbed about fifty feet boulders littered the ground, but even these bore the scars of recent fires. Soon the path was sloping upward and became almost too rocky for the horses to manage. Suddenly, it leveled out and Jink, Theo, and Lyra found themselves at the top of a small plateau, overlooking a vast city, the first of the cities in Perico, the city Rakia. Or what was left of it anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A few weeks later, I was still trying to figure out was Zeus meant. _A sign? What kind of sign did he mean? _Lyvani seemed to be thinking the same thing I was. He turned to me and said thoughtfully, "If they do receive a sign, from whom would it come from?"

We were sitting on the beach around dawn. Mist hung over the Long Island Sound and the birds were yet to rise. A cold breeze played along the water, and the crashing of the waves reminded me bitterly of home.

Theo looked troubled. He was sitting cross-legged next to Halithla, making water take the form of different animals. "The Olympians are the gods now," he said, "but they are as unsure as we are. Surely, it cannot come from them, but something beyond their control." A water hare raced around our feet, but Theo raised a hand and it exploded in a shower of spray.

Jink rubbed his scar anxiously. "Theo, if you mean what I think you do, that means big trouble; not only for the gods, but the mortals as well."

He nodded. "Yeah, it will. An if we are The Six, or whatever, that means we need to watch our steps from now on."

I thought I understood where this was going. "A god or goddess that is older than they needs to send it," I said. I looked over the sound with melancholy eyes.

Theo nodded. Halithla spoke up, sounding hopeful for the first time in weeks. "The Goddess," he said. "She's rising again."

Firedancer looked grim. "If that indeed be the case, I can see why they would dread this prophecy of their coming to completion. As much as I would look forward to it, we cannot do anything until we know what it is. However," here he raised a finger. "If She does return, and it was She who reopened the portal, then it may be time."

My heart thudded there. I was chosen to lead my people to safety from humanity; it was why I was burdened with immortality to begin with. So that when the time came, I could lead them home again. Now we had been allowed back to the world we had fled from. Even though the day was warm, I shivered with foreboding. We had left to make way for humans, in flight, in desperation, in fear. What would be the human price our return?

Jink looked at me with mild concern. "I don't think we ought to do anything until we know the prophecy in completion. Just keep a low profile until something happens. That shouldn't be too hard." His voice was hollow however, as if he didn't really believe what he was saying.

Lyvani looked up at the sky. He didn't say anything, but I knew that he longed just as much as the rest of us for the days of old. His form rippled for a moment, but then he regained control. He stood and turned away. "Well," said he, "we ought to play our allotted roles here. I say that we carry on as before, but keep a low profile and let's try to avoid the campers for the most part."

Theo grinned. "How about just the Hermes cabin?" he suggested. "The others are warming up to us, but I don't trust those pranksters."

"Agreed," Jink said with feeling. He had recently arrived back from sword fighting to find his sleeping back filled with shaving cream. If I remembered correctly, he had gone straight over to Travis and pulled the entire thing down over him. It had taken him a full five minutes to get it back off.

Halithla sighed. "What is so wrong with us?" Theo asked. "Why do they hate us so much?"

I didn't have an answer to that, but I had wondered at its answer many times. Jink stood and pulled me to my feet. "It's because they're afraid," he said with absolute certainty. They know we are more powerful than they and they fear us. I believe that before us, the only human-like creatures more powerful than they were the gods."

Human-like. Jink was the only pure human amongst us, and for the first time, I wondered what that was like for him. I was half and half, and the others were daemons. In a way however, so was I. Ever since Anatkah… but I pushed that memory away. It was too painful. I felt sorry for Jink, it was true. But in the end, he had chosen immortality when it was offered to him, rather than stay behind. He had gone with us through the portal, with the blessing of The Goddess. I had always wanted to know why, but he had never said, so I refrained from asking.

Together we walked back to the circle of cabins. We didn't reenter the Hermes cabin though; we kept going to the mess hall and the fire in its heart, and it was there that we stopped.

From underneath his jacket Jink produced a flute-like instrument. It was carved from a weathered piece of wood and I recognized it. It was the instrument that Alrog had given him, before we left. He sat cross-legged on the heard earth and closed his eyes. As we sat opposite from him, the embers glowed a little brighter as he began to play.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A tune that was melancholy and weary flowed from the flute as he played. Eyes closed, Jink played like one born to the trade, and not a street rogue with talent. The music swept all around us and through the camp. It sang of friends long gone, of memories, of things that would never be. It spoke of a loss that we had all felt and shared since we had found ourselves back.

The music changed ever so slightly and I recognized it; a hymn to The Goddess. The others must have remembered it too, for Halithla raised his head with a curious look on his face. The melody had no words; very few of Her hymns did actually. I always thought that the magic of it was more powerful on its own.

I closed my eyes as the music swelled and changed again. It brought back old memories of those final days. Memories of desperation, but of hope too. Faces rose in my inner eye, friends I had been forced to leave behind and others who had little choice but to come with us. The Face of The Goddess rose and I bowed my head. She looked into my eyes pityingly, but when she did so, I knew in my mind what I had known in my heart for a long time. The time had come. I had a duty to fulfill.

When I opened my eyes again, Jink was lowering the instrument from his lips. Sitting straighter, I looked around. We were surrounded by campers. I made out Annabeth's face and Percy next to her, both looking surprised. I saw the Stoll brothers and recognized several people from the Apollo cabin whom I had archery with. Through the crowd, I saw Chiron picking his way through. The campers made way for him in the end and at last he stood before us.

We got to our feet and Jink tucked the instrument away again. He bowed. "Chiron," he said formally. "What is the nature and meaning of this unexpected gathering?"

The centaur took a long hard look at us. His gaze flitted from Jink's, to mine, to the daemons. At last he asked, "Who are you?"

I was surprised, but Jink answered in a voice that was quiet. "I'm a human. Lyra is an Elf." He hesitated before adding, "Theo, Firedancer, Lyvani, and Halithla are daemons."

There was a collective intake of breath, but Chiron's eyes never wavered from Jink's face. "Child," he said, "who was that?"

I felt myself freeze up inside. How would the entire camp react to what Jink was about to say?

"The Goddess," he answered, much calmer than I expected.

At Her memory, I smiled slightly. A woman clothed in a simple deerskin dress with hair the color of autumn leaves and eyes as green as new spring growth. Two translucent salamanders made of green flames stood beside Her. She, with skin as white as a cloud and serenity in her expression, had looked at me as if she understood all, but still asked me to carry through. She didn't demand allegiance or obedience, but simply asked it of me. And I had replied with a whole hearted yes.

Chiron looked puzzled. Had he seen into my memory, or had I projected it at him? "Gaia generally does not take that form. And it is rare not to feel malice from her these days." His face looked thoughtful when he said it, but Jink's face told a different story.

"She isn't one of yours," he snapped, flaring up suddenly. "She goes unnamed, for none created by mortal men can do her justice. She is older and more ancient than the Greek gods and came before their birth as well as the other monstrosities before them." He glared around at the campers with such venom that several took a step back.

"Jink," I whispered, taking his hand in mine.

He was not to be pacified however. He did not though, shrug me off. "She isn't like your Gaia. She would never lift a finger against Her children and never has." He glared around. "She saved the Elves of this world, and perhaps She shall come to your aide when the time comes. I just don't know."

"What do you mean by that?" Annabeth called. The others watched on, wide eyed, waiting for his response.

Jink looked like he regretted saying that last bit, but replied steadily. "Because we were sent back here for a reason, just like we were lead away all those eons ago."

I took it up from there, it was my story really. "I was given a message," I said clearly. "That our people's time was drawing to an end. I was chosen to take them to safety and The Goddess showed us the entrance to a portal to another dimension and it was there that they live on in peace from mankind." I looked around. "The gateway was sealed behind us, and would not open again until a year ago."

Theo nodded. "We got lost quickly and separated almost as quickly. Much we learned about the world now, it has changed drastically since our flight."

Halithla spoke up in a hollow voice. "That isn't it however. The Elves were forced to leave to make way for mankind. The portal would only open again once it was our time to return. That means," he continued quietly, "that your time is ending."

There was a terrible ghastly silence following these words. Then we were overwhelmed by a barrage of questions, panicked cries, scorn and doubt.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

A few weeks later, Chiron let us go with a quest. We were to find The Goddess. We had to find out the meaning of this whole mess. We had to find out if the gods would still survive. It sounded really stupid when the old horse man gave it to us, but I couldn't complain. At least we were getting out of the camp. Percy and Annabeth were coming with us too. Dionysus wouldn't let us go without at least two demigods accompanying us. He was really getting on my nerves, but since he's a god, there was nothing I could do about it. Sure, I may be immortal, but reforming takes a while and a lot of energy that I wasn't about to waste tangling with him.

The morning we left was clear. White puffy clouds drifted lazily across a blue sky, while the air smelled of strawberries. The grass waved gently in the breeze the brushed the valley. Birds called to each other from the trees and once or twice from the air. Vagnor was waiting for us by the pine tree. He blew a puff of smoke into the air when he saw us walk towards him with our backpacks slung across our shoulders. The dragon made the giant tree look like a shrub next to him. Towering over it by several stories, he stretched his wings and bent down for us to mount him.

I helped Annabeth get on after Jink was seated just behind the wing joint. Percy sat just behind her and wound his arms around her waist in a protective manner. The daemons and I did not mount the dragon, even though he could have seated the rest of us and more by this time. The great red dragon spread his wings and roared. Then with a great sweep, he lifted off into the air. The force of the takeoff almost knocked us backward. Lyvani was able to manipulate the winds and thus keep us standing however.

"Alright," I muttered. "Let's go."

Firedancer, Lyvani, Theo, and Halithla dissolved into pillars of black smoke and shot after them. I bit my lip nervously. Deep within my consciousness, I felt something awaken. It stirred restlessly. One could call it my own personal daemon. But I preferred Anatkah. I surrendered my mind to her who was really I. My vision flickered and my control slipped. Then I too was dissolving. With speed that would make even Lyvani envious, we shot off the ground and into the sky.

Speeding past the daemons they were nothing more than black blurs on my right hand side. Clouds rushed past my line of vision and I felt myself buffeted by air currents unfelt from the ground. At last, we were beside Vagnor. The dragon knew who we were, even in this form. Fortunately, we did not scare him. Together, we lead the way to the place where we had emerged last year. The wind stung her rippling form, but she paid no heed. They were close. She could sense it. The air charged with magic as they hurtled northward. Anatkah tugged at her consciousness, and she turned westward. Vagnor followed her with the daemons flanking her on either side.

Darkness came all too quickly, but by the time the sun was just sinking below the earth, I knew. Signaling to the others as best she could, Anatkah landed and I felt the darkness recede from her mind. Theo materialized next to me and his brothers resumed human form a moment later. Vagnor folded his great wings and a moment later, landed lightly beside me.

Percy swung off first, and then turned and helped Annabeth dismount. Jink jumped down beside me. His black hair was swept back away from his face and his bright blue eyes were dancing. "Hey," he said tiredly. "How was your flight?"

I grinned at him happily. "Anatkah enjoyed it. I felt as if she would never let me free."

He laughed. "Ours was as smooth as you could wish. So much so, in fact, that I almost fell asleep."

I smiled. "I wish I could say the same. I don't think she wanted to recede to tell you the truth."

"I'm glad she did then," Jink said in a tone of mock seriousness. "Anatkah isn't nearly as much fun as you." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. He turned and called to the demigods, "Alright." He clapped his hands together. "This is it. The amount of aura radiating from this spot precedes all we have felt since day one. As darkness is falling fast, I hope you two are well rested and ready for action. We can summon light for such an occasion, but I'd really rather not have to do that."

"How long will we be here?" Annabeth asked.

"Good question," he said with a nod. "I estimate that we will be here as long as it takes."

She frowned. "But-"

Percy trampled over whatever she was going to say, "So we're here until we receive a sign or find out whatever it is that we need to know?"

"Yes. Vagnor will stay here. He's much slower over ground and would attract far too much attention if he came after us." Jink looked around. "Any more questions?" There was no response. "Good." He turned to me. "Lyra will take the lead; she's the one who was chosen for all this after all."

He flashed me a wink. Nervously, I addressed our party. "Okay. We're looking for a gateway. Something that can be used to travel between worlds."

"This is Alaska," Percy said mildly. "The rule of the Olympians doesn't extend this far. Its prime territory for such a place."

"Americans call it the final frontier," Annabeth said helpfully.

"That's a good thing then," I replied. "It would be easier if the portal was in a place largely left at peace from mankind." I wished I had Nature's Edge on me, but no matter. Deftly, I summoned a salamander to my side. It was made entirely of flames, green and translucent. Golden eyes looked into our own out of a face that seemed encrusted with precious stones. Indigo claws gripped the tundra as it rose to its hind legs with a shrill whistle. It landed all four feet together and blew a puff of smoke into the air. I didn't wait to see their reactions. I turned and marched off, the salamander at my side. I let the elemental take the lead as we walked further and further away from the relative safety, ensured by Vagnor's presence.

After about an hour, the creature stopped. It raised its head and looked up at the sky. Its eyes reflected the light of the millions of stars that sprinkled the night sky. It whistled softly and their light concentrated on a place just a few meters in front of us. It thickened, twisting into a column of light. Light pulsed and quivered. A shape began to form.

I fell to my knees. Beside me, Jink did the same. Even the daemons and Percy and Annabeth seemed to understand that something important was taking place. So long had we awaited this moment. I almost didn't want to believe that it could really be. But it was, and I could have sung with the joy that all was not lost.

"Ah, my child. It's been a long time."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I dared not look up. Not without being granted the permission too anyway. The salamander moved forward, eyes alight. I held my place, fear of what I was about to hear and hope of it, mingled in my heart. If our people returned, my duty would be complete. Would I become mortal again, or would I cease to be? Worse yet, what if I had to stay immortal? The thought scared me. Immortality would not have made my top ten things to achieve over the summer list that's for sure. But what would happen to the mortals and demigods now that it was clear at last that the time was nigh? There were no easy answers. Not anymore.

Jink, kneeling beside me, took my hand in his. He squeezed it briefly, and from his touch I drew confidence and strength. I stood and took a pace forward. "My Lady," I said haltingly, "from the demigods at Camp Half-Blood, I come bearing a question and a message."

She smiled. "Speak child, and I will listen."

"First, I bring you the regards of the demigods at Camp Half-Blood and of the gods of ancient Greece." I felt rather awkward saying this bit. It was true, however, I doubted whether or not the gods really cared as long as they remained alive and well.

Perhaps she was following the same line of thought, for her eyes were cold as stars as she stared somewhere past us, as if into another world. Then she nodded rather stiffly. "The world now is riddled with the gods. I am not surprised they would fear my rise again."

That was understandable. I mean, they were very biased against Gaia, their earth mother. However, Gaia was Greek. The Lady was something far more than, and as old as the world which was her life source. "We hail your return Lady Mother. May the sun, moon, and stars smile upon the day in which it was declared thus."

Again, a flash of smile. "Do not shower me with praises young one. I do not need them to know that my return is long overdue."

I replied, "The opening of the portal at long last allowed us to return to a changed world; and by that homecoming, we beg of you to answer us: Are we meant to be here, now and forever more?"

"You're people were the first to be and the first to fall. I spared the Fair Folk for the reason that it wasn't your time yet. It was cut short by the emergence of mankind, and I felt empowered to save you. The world is changed, yes, but there are parts of it that remain undisturbed and tranquil. The portal is open for your people to come back through, if you so desire."

I bowed deeply. "I thank thee with all my heart." I rose however, with a slight frown. "How shall thee proceed from here? The humans are used to the occupant of the gods by now. The transition shall have to be done gradually."

"Yes," she sighed rather sadly. "The earth is in much disarray. Amends will have to be made. If you wish to settle here, I must warn you, it shall have to be repaired. If it continues on its current rate to disaster, you shall with that you had chosen to stay behind."

I bowed my head. We had seen as much. "We understand, and shall do our best to out things to rights."

"Your best is all I ask for my child. Have no fear; all that is sick can be cured in time," she said kindly.

"Wait," Percy stepped forward, never taking his eyes off The Goddess. "What are you saying?"

"I say only that the time of the ancients return again. Do not fear child, you children of the gods are not forgotten." She smiled at Percy's surprised look. "Why do you look so stunned, little son of the sea god? Did you think that I would destroy your race to make way for the ones whom your people drove out of their world so many millennia ago? I am not like your gods." She turned to Annabeth. "What say you, daughter of wisdom?"

Annabeth bowed. "What shall happen to the gods when you rise to power once more?"

"I shant force them into exile or banish them to their own Tartarus. Their fate depends upon the mortals who worship them."

Annabeth nodded; no doubt trying to decide how best to interpret this.

"You aren't going to attack the gods then and challenge them for power?" Percy asked. He sounded almost disappointed.

She laughed at this. "What would there be to gain from such a thing as war?" she asked, "only the loss of innocent lives and wounded self-esteems. Nay son of the sea god, the gods of Olympus shall remain unchallenged." She turned to me again. "Your duty is almost complete. In the end you shall have peace, but when the final day comes and the battle between darkness and light comes, I shall call upon the again. Is my meaning understood?"

"Yes."

"Then it is time for you to return to the mortal world. The place where we stand is not part of this place at all, and will vanish the instant you leave. You shall find your people here when they emerge. I shall send you a sign, and make haste when it arrives."

Theo took a step forward. He did not bow, but neither did he in anyway show disrespect or anger as one would expect from a daemon. "My Lady, my brothers and I broke our pact with the Lord of Darkness and united ourselves with you. Will you let us return to the dimension where we came from in the beginning? Let us buy you time."

"You do realize," she replied, "that if you fail, you shall die forever. There is no afterlife for soulless ones."

"We understand," he said. "We've discussed this at great length between ourselves."

"Not with us you haven't," Jink said quietly.

Firedancer looked at him sadly. "It's our duty, reparations must be made. The guilt from so long ago sticks with us even 'till today."

Jink closed his eyes, but made no further protest.

"Come." Theo and his brothers stepped forward. For a moment, they were bathed in starry radiance. Then it was gone. Shadows closed upon them as their forms rippled and vanished. The Goddess looked at me. "Have courage young one. You will need it in times to come."

I've remembered her words even to this day. A bold heart is as important as mercy, love, and friendship. My people have returned. We walk amongst you. We are here to stay. You think we are here to save you. But what you don't realize is that you can't be saved. Our numbers remain steady and yours decrease. The balance is shifting. My day came and went. It's time for another to bear the burden now.


End file.
